Device for splitting stumps in the ground



May 5, 931- F. w. GRUPE 1,803,902

DEVICE IS'OR SPLITTING STUMPS IN THE GROUND Filed May 27,1925

Patented May 5, leal ICE FRIEDRCH WILHELM GRUPE, F BERLIN, GERMANY DEVCE FOR SPLTTING STUIVIPS IN THE GROUND Application led May 27, 19,29, Serial No. 366,276, and in Germany May 10, 1928.4

My invention relates to improvements in devices for splitting stumps in the ground.

My invention consists in the novel arrangement and mode of operation of the wedge or A blade iior splitting the stump. Such splitters have been employed heretofore, but they were driven into the stump and withdrawn during each s rolre of the driving piston, so that the splitter was handled in the manner 1o of an are, while in my device the splitter is driven into the stump by a number oi' blows and then withdrawn, when the splitter has reached the desired depth.

The drawing axed hereto illustrates diagrammatically an embodiment oi my invention. In the drawing ig. 1 is a side view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a plan View, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a pneumatic ao adjustable support.

The improved device is substantially an automotive pile driver particularly adapted for splitting stumps. It consists ot' two main parts, viz. the truck 1 and the superstructure 2. rlhe truck consists of a rigid trame mounted on wheels or caterpillars 3 driven by the motor Ll. On this truclr rests supported at a plurality of points the superstructure 2. rlhe supporting points 5 are adapted to beadjusted vertically and independently by mechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic means driven manually or by the motor. rlhe superstructure and thus the pile driver may thus be adjusted as regards their height and set horizontally to the ground or under any desired angle to it. @ne torni of supporting means is shown in Fig. 3, which, as an eX- ample, is a pneumatic support. As shown, the support comprising the cylinder, is mounted on the truck 1 and supports the superstructure 2. 1tis, ot course, understood that this construction is provided at eachy O the three supporting points, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The support consists of a cylinder in which a piston 5 is provided having a piston rod thereon. The piston and piston rod are adapted to be adjusted vertically in the cylinder and the piston rod is provided with a spherical head. rhis head sets in a flat plate which has a corresponding surface and which is provided on the super structure 2. At the bottom of the cylinder, that is, under the piston 5, a channel enters the cylinder which is adapted to provide compressed air thereinto. rlhe installation for conveying compressed air to the cylinder is regulated by means or" a valve 50. If it is desired to raise or adj ust the superstructure, the valve 50 is opened, whereby compressed air will enter the cylinder and the piston 5 will be forced upwardly. In the proper aoljustment, this valve is closed, but, if it is desired to lower the superstructure again, the valve 50' is opened, which will permit the compressed air to leave the cylinder and escape into the atmosphere. The air can be compressed by any means, such as a compressor, not shown, which can be operated from the motor aand furthermore, for a pnuematic installation, a compressed air tank, not shown, can be provided between the compressor and the cylinder.

On the superstructure is accommodated the motor with the various gears for operating the drop weight 19 as well as the truck and the other auxiliarydevices. rlhe weight 19 is operated by a rope or chain 6, which is driven from the motor through special gears in such a manner, that in order to'obtain a rapid sequence of operations the weight is raised at a reduced speed, which can be raised to a mammum during the stroke. In the case illustrated this is, for instance, attained by interposing a pair of meshing elliptical wheels 7 in the gearing, which operates in such a manner, that the start of the lift talies place Vat the time when the lowest transmission ratio is operative.

'lhe weight is guided between rails 8 in the customaryl manner and mayl be manually or automatically released at any time. rlhe splitter 9 is loosely guided in a special holder 10, which is suspendedy from chains 12and adapted to slide in rails 11. These chains pass over sprocket wheels 13 adaptedto be coupled with the motor through a gearing.

ln this embodiment of the invention the motor operates the weight 19 through the change-speed gear 11i, the reverse gear 15, worm 16 and worm-wheel on the pair of elliptical wheels 7, pair of spur Wheels 17, sprocket wheel 18, through chain 6 on to the weight 19. Or in the other case after reversing the coupling 2O the motor lifts the splitter 9 through the gear wheels 21, 22 and 23, sprocket wheels and chain 12 acting on the holder 10.

The mode of operation ot my improved device is as follows:

rEhe weight is raised at a low speed and smoothly by the motor through the peculiar gearing and the speed is highly accelerated during the upw rd stroke. On reaching the highest point the weight is released from the chain, Jor instance, by hand, drops down and drives the splitter, wedge or bla-de into the stump be split. This operation is repeated until the splitter has reached t ie desired depth. By reversing the coupling 2O the holder 10 with the splitter 9 is pulled out of the stump by the chains 12 along the guides 11 in such a manner, that again through the agency ot the pair ot elliptical wheels it is first raised at a low speed and positively withdrawn thereby at higher speed.

l am aware that splitters have been used before, but such splitters are with their heads guided in the saine guides as the drop weight and are connected with Ythe weight by chains. The splitter is thus 'only able to move in the central axis of the two guides and only short blows can be struclr on it as permitted by the chains. rlhe chains cannot be lengthened as longer chains would place themselves betw en weight and tool during each blow. rEhe dependence ot the splitter upon the weight in regard to the direction ot' motion is a considerable disadvantage as extremely strong secondary strains develop if the tool penetrates into the stump obliquely. rlhese may become so great that the device fails or becomes injured and destroyed. To avoid this ri lf; it is necessary .to equip such devices with a circular saw which f places a deep saw lerf in thestumpprior to the splitting to enable in axially.

1n my device the weight and the splitter are independent of each other. The weight 19 is guided by the rails 8 and raised by the chain 6. rlhe splitter 9 is suspended in a special holder 10, which guided by special rails is suspended from chains 12. IThe chain 6 operates at each stroke of the weight, but the holder chains 12 are inoperative during the striking of the blows.` Not until the deeply driven in tool is to be pulled out ot the stump are the chains 12 rendered opera-V tive.

Owing to this independence between Weight and splitter the weight may be given a great drop and powerful blows may be struck, so that the stumps may be smashed up without previous saw keri's and the like solely by splitting. The holder 10 itself and the splitter to be put also its mode of suspension gives so much play to the splitter, that even if the splitter should take up an inclined position the device is not endangered by secondary strains.

rl`he splitter sits in a kerf prepared by itself naturally much tighter than in one prepared by a saw cut. According to my invention it is adapted to be withdrawn from the stump mechanically by means of the holder and the chain. To enable this to be done a pair of elliptical wheels is interposed in the gearing, which operatesv to raise the splitter nrst at a low speed and' then to accelerate it strongly as theri'cton of the splitter in the stump decreases. The pair of elliptical wheels operates in the same manner in regard tothe operation ot the weight.

Y Various changes and modifications may be madev in my device without. departing from the spirit of my invention and the appended claim which should be interpreted in thev light of prior knowledge only.v

I claim as my invention An automotive piledriver-lile device for snlitting stumps and the likeicomprising a drop weight, a chain for suspending said weight, a splitting tool independent of said weight and located below it, a holder for said tool, a chain for suspending' said holder separately, means for guiding said holder separately, said holder being adapted to withdraw said'tool from the stump after having been driven in by said weight, and a pair of elliptical wheels in the driving gear for said chains, so that during the, pulling out of the splitting tool the holder and during each lift of the weight the said elements are started slowly and only highly accelerated during the stroke.

In testimony whereof l aix my signature.

FEREDE-ICH VlLHELll/i GRUPE. 

